A Dance of Two Worlds

The Right Of The King

Chapter Twenty-One

The Right of the King

Onlya fool would sacrifice a perfect present in search of an overly ambitiousfuture

Aden

The Fifth Loop, Year 381, 20th January (5L/381/1/20)

"This is the only way to protect our world from an invasion," Samuel said concluding his address to the Council. "For the sake of God and Holy Angels, I urge you to take this step. There is no other option."

Olivier looked at his friend with a queer smile on his face. Samuel had done a great job of digging a hole for himself.

Daniel Donald, the minister of public affairs, stood up. "With all due respect Your Highness, first of all, it was you who decided to send a delegation to that world while many members of the council were against it. Now you want us to start a war with that world. If not for your ill-advised delegation no one in Tenebra would have known the route to this world and we would have lived in peace forever."

"When we will run out of fuel, that peace won't last for long. I did what I did to secure a better future for our coming generations."

"Only a fool would sacrifice a perfect present in search of an overly ambitious future."

"An intelligent minister would mind his tongue while talking to his king if he doesn't want it to be pulled out from his throat," Samuel shot back with a glare that made Daniel cower in his seat.

"I am sorry Your Highness, I didn't mean it that way." Daniel was almost trembling while apologizing to Samuel. "What I am trying to say is I am sure our able scientists will find out some alternative before our fuel reserves get exhausted."

"But I am not sure our enemies will wait till then. They will attack us and turn our world into a battlefield. We should strike them before they strike us."

"We can't allow bloodshed based on some speculations," Daniel's voice was still shaky but he stuck to his argument. "It is against our values."

"HighMinister Olivier was there." Olivier could sense the desperation in Malcolm Lewis's tone. The minister of resources didn't want the Star-Rocks to slip out of his hands. "I think we should ask for his opinion."

Olivier got up from his chair and bowed to the king. "After what little I have seen of them I must say that people of that world are unpredictable uncivilized savages," he began in his slow meticulous tone, putting just enough stress on words he wanted people to note. "They may attack us and they may not. At present, they don't have the weapons to match us, but they have brains and the guns left behind by us to copy from."

"That is my whole point. If we attack them before they can develop any weapons there will be no bloodshed. They will have no option but to surrender without a fight." Samuel was repeating, word by word, what Olivier had fed him during their meetings.

"And what if they don't surrender?" Daniel asked in a soft voice.

"They will, I assure you that. Once we have overpowered them, we will maintain an army base in Tenebra that will guard the entry point into our world and deter Tenebrians from planning any aggression against us in the future."

"What are your views HighMinister?" Malcolm again asked Olivier.

During their numerous closed-door meetings, Olivier had convinced Samuel that he must pretend to be neutral in front of the Council. If they both vehemently support the invasion many ministers might suspect some foul play and vote against it. So Olivier was to hold the high ground while Samuel did the dirty job for him.